It is so refreshing to read something so relatable. Lizzie Blake’s best mistake gives you an accurate depiction of life with ADHD while remaining laugh out loud funny. This book was somehow soft & lighthearted while tackling tough subjects, emotions, and life milestones. Throw in the subtle nods to historical romance & this book is easily a five star read for me.

I can’t remember the last time a book made me so HAPPY. Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake was such a joy to read. I actually didn’t read A Brush with Love before this but I most certainly will be reading it now!

We all know the accidental pregnancy trope is hit or miss (usually miss for me bc… I don’t love kids lol) BUT I will say that I loved the direction the author took with this book. Aside from the pregnancy trope, we get forced proximity (chef’s kiss) and an interesting shift from insta-attraction to platonic future co-parents to TENSION and then you guessed it.. love!!!

I think Lizzie is one of my favorite protagonists to date. She was SO relatable. I love love loved how the author described her ADHD and really explored that throughout the book. It was super interesting as reader to essentially learn about executive dysfunction and rejection sensitive dysphoria and see how it can play out in real life scenarios for those with ADHD. Aside from her ADHD, Lizzie is one of the most loving and wonderful characters I’ve ever had the privilege of reading. She honestly just made me laugh and smile throughout the whole book. I loved how real and messy and chaotic she was. This was something I related to so hard and you don’t often find such authentic characters in romance books.

NOW… RAKE. Be still my heart. He was the perfect compliment to Lizzie. I mean the fact that he’s Australian is just the cherry on top. There were a couple chapters near the end that I STG I highlighted every single word that came out of his mouth. I was SWOONING. It was so beautiful to read about how much he truly SAW and appreciated Lizzie and all of her glory.

Aside from my deep deep love and adoration for some of my favorite characters EVER…. I really enjoyed the side storyline’s. The bakeshop was hilarious and so perfect for this book. I loved the complex family dynamics with Lizzie and her parents. I loved the sibling relationship development with Lizzie and Ryan. It just all fit so well without feeling like it ever took the spotlight from Lizzie and Rake’s relationship.

I honestly don’t think I realized how much I adored this book until I just sat down to write this review. I’ll be thinking about this fabulous book for so long and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

If you’re looking for a book that will make your face hurt from smiling so much, make your eyes well up because you feel the LOVE and make you want to go find yourself an Australian baby daddy who excels at giving words of affirmation…. this book is for YOU.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will be posting this review to Goodreads, Storygraph and Instragram on the pub date.

The accidental pregnancy trope is a divisive one, but thankfully the summary is direct about it so people aren't surprised/triggered when it becomes the main plot point. I thought it was done well in the book, and it was a learning experience for me to see how Lizzie managed her ADHD in general, and then with the addition of a pregnancy. I would've liked to see more of her internal journey.

I gave this book 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) because I really enjoyed reading it. Were the characters a little bit more like caricatures? Yes. Was the plot kind of bonkers? Of course. But I had a damn good time reading it!

For the grand majority of the book, all I could think was how Rake is the perfect man. My next book boyfriend, right there! But then something clicked (or better said, a certain scene happened) and I realized I had it all wrong. I was so wrong. The perfect character is Lizzie.

The perfect woman in all her gloriously imperfect ways.

Lizzie is a neurodivergent protagonist whose ADHD has made her feel othered by the very people who should have been supporting and validating every part of her. There's a lot of hurt there in that childhood rejection that's lasted through her adult years, at that lack of having anyone feel pride in loving her *exactly* as she is-- because who she is, is who she is meant to be. Lizzie is untethered, and then along comes Rake, not to tether her down, but to take joy in her unique, wild path.

I adored Lizzie, I felt inspired by her exuberance for life, that unabashed joy she held on to so tightly. And I loved Rake too, even though he does have a major stumble, he is overall a steady wave that doesn't clash against the unruly wave that is Lizzie, rather he harmonizes gorgeously alongside her. Rake and Lizzie complement each other so well, I loved their story from start to finish.

If there is anything I would change it would be for there to have been more of an epilogue, it just ended too soon, I wasn't quite ready to part with these characters I grew so quickly to love.

This book brought the joy, the tears, the heartbreak, and the heartwarmth. I absolutely adored it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is about an accidental pregnancy. Immediate DNF. What is even the point of stories surrounding this trope

This was a cute, witty read perfect for those beach or pool days. I adored the characters and loved how the author handled the subject matter in just the right way for this book. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it.

I honestly do not like the unexpected pregnancy trope but I really enjoyed the way it was done in this book. I also loved the emphasis on ADHD and all the complications that come with a diagnosis like that. Lizzie is a louder than life personality that I loved learning more about throughout this story. Honestly, I initially found her a little annoying but then I started to truly understand why she is the way she is. Add her family drama and I fell in love with Lizzie’s character. Rake and Lizzie navigating this new, “platonic” relationship is downright funny but both Rake and Lizzie have past hurts they have to overcome in order to make this relationship work. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and the author for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

Such a fun read! I love an interconnected series, so I was happy to find out this was the follow up to A Brush With Love! I really liked Lizzy and Rake’s banter and I thought their relationship was so cute. I also liked the portrayal of Lizzy as an adult woman with ADHD and how that impacted her life. Seeing the way that Rake viewed her and helped balance her lifestyle was cool, as well as seeing how empowered Lizzy was once she found a job that she enjoyed. I’m not a huge accidental pregnancy trope fan, but I thought Mazey Eddings did a great job with her sophomore novel.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH
I was so excited when I found out Lizzie was getting her own book! After reading a brush with love I had high expectations and mazey enddkng did not disappoint with rake and Lizzie
My new comfort book💕
5⭐️
Thank you net gallery!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Oof (in a good way!) where to start with this one...ok... Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake follows the titular Lizzie and her two-night stand Australian hunk Rake as an unexpected pregnancy pushes them both to overcome their struggles with emotional intimacy, vulnerability, relationships, and love, as caused by personal traumas both have experienced. I will start by saying that this book and its plot hinge around a lot of things happening for romance reasons (insta-lust, Rake being a dual citizen and being able to easily move from Australia to Philadelphia, etc) rather than being overly realistic, which I can see people not necessarily jiving with or believing and/or being a point of critique, but for me doesn't ultimately matter. My one minor point of criticism of the story is that I found Rake's emotional narrative arc to be much less significant than Lizzie's. Again I don't think this ruined the story in any way, but I definitely found myself noticing that there was a lack of balance between the two characters. Ok, now for the gushing time. I will begin by acknowledging that as someone who has ADHD this book means a lot to me. I have never had the chance to read a book with an ADHD heroine (ADHD heroes, yes), and while I have inattentive ADHD and Lizzie reads as being hyperactive (or at the very least combined), there are so many moments in this book that gutted me in the way that they brought the ADHD experience to the page in both big and small ways. Examples: when Lizzie explains to Rake what RSD is and how it impacts her relationships and communication, the depictions of brain traps and ADHD paralysis as well as the complicated relationship ADHD people have with their brains, and when Lizzie's mom shushes her at the dinner table. These are just a few of so many, and I cannot adequately explain how accurate they each represent the scale of what it's like to live with ADHD. I'm so thankful that people will read this book and gain a bit of understanding. Having people like Mazey Eddings write these stories illustrates so clearly why own voices in writing matters. With all of that said, I will also note that this is a deeply funny book that has great friend banter and lush writing, which balances out the more heavy parts of the plot. Overall, Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is a fun read that provides a fantastic portrayal of ADHD, but is also a tropey-romancey story of two people overcoming their fear of love and intimacy and living happily ever after. What else could you ask for?!

I- I don’t know what to <i>say</I>.

I’ll write things soon. But oh my god. If you loved Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating then this book will make you VERY happy.
______
Okay, I'm back.

Some may say wow. Others may say woah. But me? I say holy shit. I loved this book. Like legitimately cannot stop thinking about it and will think about it for days and days until my brain turns into goo. I'll be honest, I maaaaaybe skipped book one. I thought about reading it but when I have ARCs and I try to do this, I'm scared I'll hate book one and not want to read the book I actually NEED to read. I can say now that I am so glad I jumped ahead to this book. Lizzie and Rake are going up there as two of my favourites and once you've read this, you'll understand why.

Lizzie is a little bundle of chaos that she would love to manage, but having ADHD makes it a lot harder for her to remember or stay on track with the things she wants to do. She can't even seem to remember to take her ADHD meds. On a night out, she's certain she's getting stood up but she can't complain when the man she does end up meeting is tall, dark and Australian. Rake is a sight and she's got her eyes set on him but she's got a one and done rule when it comes to her hookups. No one is more surprised when one hookup turns into two. Rake goes back home and they part with the quiet promise of reaching out of they're ever in the other's neck of the woods again.

Lizzie thinks nothing of it but when everything feels heightened, she realizes Rake left more than just a little impression on her before he left for Australia again. The two navigate this unexpected turn of events in the best way possible but how do you go all-in on joining forces with someone you've known for less than a week.

Lizzie was sunshine. I loved her. The fact that this book cover is bright yellow is exactly correct and I hope never changes. She is filled with humour and kindness and is so witty. Following in her POV is never a dull moment and the same can be said for Rake but for different reasons. I find my favourite moments of his weren't even in his own POV but the way that Lizzie sees him and everything he does, whether it's for her or not. He's patient and understanding and is honestly the yin to her yang. They're so balanced as a pair.

The characters were wonderful. Her friends are there for her (despite a hiccup) but really, Rake is the star. I- I simply just think he needs to be appreciated but I also think you should all read it from the book and not from me. Just trust me. Please. Love him with me.

Lizzie just made my heart hurt. Her parents were awful and I was so happy that she was able to find people who (mostly) understood her but Rake? He didn't even hesitate.

It has been days and I'm still thinking about these guys. I adore them so much.

Lizzie Blake is kind of a mess. She knows why—her ADHD makes functioning in the world the way the world expects her to function incredibly difficult. Her found family gets it and supports her. Her biological family, on the other hand, takes every opportunity to tell her she’s just not right. When Hurricane Lizzie encounters hot Aussie Rake, their attraction is instant. A sizzling 48 hours leads to an unexpected pregnancy and everything changes for both of them. Can they make platonic co-parenting work? Can Lizzie hold down a job? Can Rake adjust to his very unpleasant new boss? Will they fall back into bed together? Ok, that last one is a definite yes!

I have to assume it was on purpose, but being in Lizzie’s headspace felt frantic and really conveyed the unfocused, bouncing interest, hyperactivity of someone who has the condition (and gave me greater insight into my son, who is an ADHDer). I saw a review that basically said they didn’t understand what Rake saw in Lizzie and I think that’s kind of the point: where others see chaos, he’s found his person. I think that’s a lovely idea. Did everything with her condition, job, and man come together a bit too neatly? Maybe, but hey, we could all use a little escapism these days. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC. Available 9/6/2022.

This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read!

Lizzie's ADHD representation was beautifully done. I don’t normally enjoy the unplanned pregnancy trope, but it was well developed in this case. The story was very real/believable to me and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Super cute. This was exactly what I needed to get out of a reading slump. Highly recommend. I loved the MC and the story like was intresting

Lizzie is a fun character. She was fun in Mazey Eddings’ debut novel (A Brush With Love) and it was delightful getting to know her better in this book.
Lizzie is doing her best to make a life for herself living with adult ADHD. Her childhood consisted of having her spirit beat down by her parents (especially her mother) for not being more like her ‘perfect’ brother. This had her leaving home as soon as she finished high school. What did she do? Traveled the world!
Her love life consists of one-night stands - with a strong one night only policy. She is afraid to connect to anyone, which I would say is primarily due to a partially traumatice first time.
Lizzie struggles to hold down a job and make wise decisions.
Things really change for her when she meets Rake, an Australian hottie in town on a business trip. She unintentionally breaks her one night rule and ends up pregnant! She decides she is going to keep the baby and contacts Rake in Australia to let him know. She does not want his involvement, but insists and comes back. They make an attempt to be platonic coparents and as one could imagine that doesn’t quite work out for them.
The book was fun and full of laughs. The two main characters are delightful and so are Lizzie’s friends (same form the previous novel - I just loved those dynamics). The book includes the importance of cutting the ties of toxic relatioships, even if they are family.
This was a good sequel to a wonderful debut.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc of this book.

I really loved this story. Mazey Eddings is a new author for me and I was delighted to learn that Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake is a standalone second novel in a series. I plan to go back and read the first book, A Brush With Love and any others she writes! I’ve never read a romance novel where the Heroine had ADHD and I felt that the author handled it beautifully. It was so interesting (and sometimes heartbreaking) to see the inner workings of Lizzie’s mind, and to understand how much of a struggle certain things could be. I typically do not like the surprise pregnancy trope but I really enjoyed it here. Rake and Lizzie were two of the best, most interesting characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about in a long time. Highly recommend!!!

lizzie blake's best mistake was a good book. but it was just that, a good book. not bad, not great, just good. extremely average. this romance book follows lizzie, our chaotic and messy protagonist who after a two-night stand, finds herself pregnant. rake, the other participant in said two-night stand, is closed off and unable to offer himself emotionally to her. despite this, he wants to be an equal and available participant in their child's life. as her pregnancy progresses, these two characters find themselves drawn together in more ways than one, and they break down the numerous barriers between them before the birth of their child.

as i said, this was just an average read. of course you can't help but root for lizzie and rake, but otherwise the romance fell flat for me. i don't really enjoy reading instalove, which this book had right from the get go. i also am not a huge fan of the pregnancy trope, so this wasn't my favorite romance ever. with that being said, this book was still really well written, and i cared enough about the story to finish. i just didn't care THAT much. i think other audiences will enjoy this much more than i did. 3/5 stars!

thank you so much to both netgalley and st. martin's press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was just everything. It was so funny, romantic and sexy. The characters Rake and Lizzie,are both so well developed and so lovable, and their chemistry was through the roof ! i truly loved them and this book so so much.
Pre-order this book if you love adult romance and the opposites attract trope!!! It comes out September 6th 2022.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I have so much love for this book and Mazey Eddings. From the first page I was hooked on Rake and Lizzie's story. I wanted to read it in one sitting and savor it at the same time! Lizzie Blake is a ray of sunshine and I would love to be her friend in real life. Rake is a wonderful love interest and I loved how his past and issues were revealed over the course of the book. Once again, Mazey does a wonder job of weaving in mental health issues and neurodiverse characters into a beautiful love story that gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me now and I cannot wait for Indira's book next!

This book has some of the best neurodivergent, female ADHD rep that I've ever encountered. I was nervous going in because so often women with ADHD aren't taken seriously and are told to just "try harder" and "don't be so lazy" as if we are somehow less beholden to the dopamine than men with ADHD. Mazey handled it beautifully, to the point where I was highlighting lines and reading them to my therapist because it described my experiences better than I ever could. When Mazey finally started setting alarms to make it through the day, I cheered because if I don't set an alarm for something it won't get done 😂

The romance was also perfect. The hero, Rake, has been burned before and is now locked down tighter than the doomsday seed vault. He has an ooey gooey center just waiting to leak out and jumps on a plane as soon as he hears that Lizzie is pregnant. Because yeah, this is an accidental pregnancy book. And probably my favorite accidental pregnancy book ever. The way these two goofs fumbled through their changing relationship felt so realistic.